My all-time favorite part of blogging is 100% the connections that can be made! I have met some of the most beautiful people through Instagram and blogging and they have all added so much to my life! So… that is just one of the reasons why I polled Instagram recently for this post! Yes, I want to learn about all your favorite books of the bible, and yes, I can’t wait to reread all these books and verses. BUT I also just love working on projects with all my favorite people!!

These ladies’ stories are so beautiful. I absolutely loved learning about their experiences with the bible. I feel like I truly have a new look into these various books now!

Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a love poem which can be read in a couple of ways, all of which beautifully intimate. On a human level, the song of songs affirms the goodness of human sexuality and the sacredness of the marital union. It reminds me of the love my relationship with my husband is meant to reflect. The fact that the poem itself is told in alternating voices of the Bride and Bridegroom also shows the unity, the oneness, that exists within.
On a spiritual level, the Song of Songs is about the soul’s relationship with God. Reading this book has helped me see myself as a bride constantly pursued, totally desired, and unconditionally loved by Christ. My favorite verse and one that particularly speaks to my heart is Ch 2 verse 10: My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.” Christ is calling us, not only to love and be loved by Him but to ultimately be united with Him forever.

For me as a Catholic woman, practicing virtue in my everyday life is something that I am constantly striving to do. Within the book of Colossians sits a beautiful section filled with do’s and don’ts that are highly applicable to our present-day lives. We are commanded to stray away from sins like greed and gossip, which pull us farther away from who Christ models for us to be. To counter the earthly temptations of sin, perfectly listed are virtues and practices that that we are called to abide by:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.” (Col. 3:12-14)

The first time I heard this scripture, I sat in awe thinking, “God is calling me to be vested in virtue.” This particular scripture has led me to be more aware of who Christ calls me to be and has ultimately showed me the ropes of how to enter into the virtuous pursuit.

At twenty-one years I have the same question I asked myself as a teenager: what season am I in? A time to kill, heal, break down, build up, weep, laugh, mourn, or dance? (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3-4) I am astonished by how frequently I fail to find the answer, how frequently I struggle to discern my own heart and what season I’m living in at this moment. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a perfectionist, I had to make everyone happy – even if it meant making myself miserable in the process.

While what I was clinging to were good things, my perfectionistic mindset kept me focused on the earthly benefit instead of the Heavenly good. This has caused me to willingly keep myself in the seasons of destruction, self-inflicted or placed upon me by others, because when I go through the seasons of destruction without my eyes placed on Heaven, no freedom can be found.

While I am still discovering the freedom that comes with the seasons of building up, the hope I have for the future is unparalleled. I know that His plans are far greater than my own and His ways are higher than I could ever imagine. He is the sovereign Lord and He knows what seasons I will be living in before I know of them myself. While I change and grow, He will always remain the same.

For every hurt there is a season, but we’re not called to live in that season without hope or to live in that season for our entire lives. The Lord has made our hearts for joy in ways we cannot yet fathom, and the seasons as we build up will give us a glimpse of what awaits us in the Heavenly Kingdom of our Father.

During April of 2018, I read through Philippians for the first time. I explored just what St. Paul was instructing the Philippians to do, and what the Holy Spirit was directing me to do through the letter, as well. In my time reading Philippians, so much was taking place in my life, things that I did not feel prepared for. It was in this time that a decision was made that my competitive swimming journey would be coming to an end due to different interests. These interests, and the lack of available commitment that my family and I would be able to give to the pool in the summer to come, all resulting in the conclusion of my 9-year swimming “career”.

Thoughts of identity had been coursing through my mind and I could not shake the feelings that I would be lost without the sport that I had grown up with. It was in this season that I came across this verse, Philippians 3:13: “Dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it (perfection through identity) but I focus on one thing, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”.

In such a simple verse I found that my identity was in Christ alone, and although I will always miss swimming, I am looking forward to what lies ahead!

Ruth is my favorite book in the Old Testament because I feel a special connection to her. My middle name is Ruth which is a Hebrew name that means companion, friend, or vision of beauty. I read the book of Ruth for the first time in High School, and I was shocked to realize that it’s only four chapters. I love the feeling of it being a short story, and the quick narrative about this woman named Ruth. My creative process is influenced by the loyalty Ruth demonstrates. My favorite verse is Ruth’s first expression of obedience in the book, “Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God.” (Ruth 1:16). She continues to prove her obedience and faithfulness to the people in her life. I see Christ in Ruth when she is asked by her mother-in-law to leave, but stays instead. She makes a promise to be with her and take care of her. I’ve often pushed Jesus away, insisting that He should love someone better than me. Over and over He tells me, “Wherever you go I will go.” Jesus is always loyal.

Thank you all so much for stopping by!! Make sure to check out all these beautiful ladies!